1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to joint subscriber management systems and to receiving terminals, and more particularly relates to a joint subscriber management system for making viewing/listening contracts (hereinafter referred to as “subscriptions”) and membership registrations with a plurality of broadcasters and service providers and for managing members and operating electronic commerce (hereinafter referred to as “e-commerce”) transactions in accordance with registered information, and to a receiving terminal
2. Description of the Related Art
In known digital broadcasting using a conditional access system (CAS), user-interactive data broadcasts have been delivered. For example, listeners/viewers can perform e-commerce transactions (television-commerce or t-commerce), purchase items (television shopping or t-shopping), and participate in quiz shows in real time.
In such digital broadcasting, for example, in broadcasting satellite (BS) digital broadcasting, a BS broadcasting receiver including a BS digital tuner and an antenna is installed. Free-of-charge programs can be received to immediately after the receiver has been installed. Interactive data broadcasts can be received by a user by making subscriptions and membership contracts with individual broadcasters and service providers.
For example, if a user wants to subscribe to WOW Inc. and Star Channel, Inc., the user individually subscribes to these broadcasters. If a user wants to subscribe to BS Fuji, Inc., BS-i, Inc., and Asahi Satellite Broadcasting Limited (BS Asahi), the user makes a joint (common) subscription membership registration with the three broadcasters. If a user wants to subscribe to BS Nippon Corporation (BS Nippon) and B.S. Japan Corporation (BS Japan), the user makes a joint (common) subscription membership registration with the two broadcasters.
Subscriptions are made with broadcasters in substantially the same manner. A smart card, which is referred to as a “B-CAS card”, supplied with a purchased digital tuner is used for viewing and listening to digital broadcasts. The user fills out an application form or an application card by writing a card number indicated on the smart card (the card number may be printed in advance on a card or a seal) and registrant information, such as the user's address, name, date of birth, age, sex, phone number, fax number, e-mail address, the method of payment (account transfer or credit card) for t-commerce and t-shopping, and an account number or a credit card number used to make payments, and the user sends the application form or the application card by mail or fax. Alternatively, the user may use a predetermined web site or a registration application data broadcast (and content thereof) delivered by each broadcaster to enter the registrant information, thereby making a contract (registration).
Cases in which the user registers for subscription on a registration service channel will be described. For example, FIG. 12 shows a registration screen for BS Fuji on which the user is asked to enter his/her “last name”. FIG. 13 shows two registration screens for BS-i. On one screen, the user is asked to enter his/her “name (first name and last name)” in one entry space. On the other screen, the user is asked to enter his/her “last name” and “first name” in two separate entry spaces on the same screen. The user enters his/her first name and last name by selecting alphanumeric buttons displayed on the screen by using operation buttons on a remote control. The user presses “Confirm” to proceed to the next entry space or screen. In accordance with the screen, the user enters predetermined items.
When a plurality of members, such as family members, makes a contract, as in a registration screen displayed in FIG. 14 (BS Asahi and Digicas), the user selects a family information registration screen and enters predetermined items, such as postal code, address, and phone number. FIGS. 15 to 17 show registration screens for MediArk. The registration screen shown in FIG. 15 displays a menu containing a new registration option, a subsequent registration option, and an inquiry/change option. When making a new registration, the user enters a personal number and enters the representative's name, postal code, address, phone number, and fax number. Subsequently, the user enters a second subscriber, and so forth. For each desired broadcaster (service channel), the user must enter and register predetermined registrant information in order to view and listen to broadcast programs.
If the user wants to subscribe to a plurality of or all of broadcasters and provided services, the user must repeatedly enter similar registrant information for each broadcaster and for each service provider. This registration procedure is burdensome for the user.
For example, when the user registers for subscription on a registration service channel, the user enters alphabet and numeral characters displayed on the screen by pressing the operation buttons on the remote control, presses “Confirm” to proceed to the next screen, and sequentially enters predetermined information. Although information to enter is substantially the same among broadcasters and only the sequence of registration and the screens are different from broadcaster to broadcaster, the user must repeatedly perform similar operations for each desired broadcaster to which the user wants to subscribe (register). The user may run short of ID number seals, which are required for registration, when registering for subscription to all the broadcasters by application form or cards.
Since broadcasters and service providers for providing broadcast programs are required to individually construct, manage, and operate systems for managing registrant information, the broadcasters and the service providers are forced to bear high cost and the management/operation burden.